


Nouveau Parfum

by ExpressAndAdmirable



Series: The Heroes of Light [39]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Final Fantasy I
Genre: Education, Gen, Gun Safety, Teaching, The Jaxa Cycle, Tiefling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 16:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13239291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ExpressAndAdmirable/pseuds/ExpressAndAdmirable
Summary: Morgan teaches Lux how to shoot a gun, with a very specific purpose in mind.





	Nouveau Parfum

“Ready?”

Lux nodded, picking up the pistol from the rag spread on the flagstone before her. It truly was a beautiful piece. The dark wooden handle was finely crosshatched to enhance the shooter’s grip, and delicate filigree covered the hammer and the metalwork surrounding it. Tiny notches and holes, almost imperceptible, dotted the end of the barrel and the body near the trigger, ready to receive the extraordinary clockwork enhancements Morgan seemed to be collecting. The little Gnome, or someone planting false memories into her mind, had taken great pride in their craftsmanship.

The gun was heavier than Lux expected, and as she adjusted her grip to compensate, she realised the burden of it was more than simple weight. It was little wonder Morgan wrestled with her conscience. This was not a weapon like her crossbow, a light and almost frivolous thing better suited for hunting game and winning prizes at village fairs. This was a weapon made for death.

Morgan pointed to her second gun, still lying on its rag, and named the different parts and their functions. The hammer, the cylinder and its release, the barrel, the trigger. She showed her how each part connected to the next like a sophisticated tinderbox, striking the primer and sending the bullet hurtling toward its target. The second pistol was identical to the first, discovered in the bowels of the tower atop which they now rested, inexplicably but undeniably hers. One of many mysteries they had yet to solve.

Once Morgan was satisfied Lux understood the parts of the gun, she showed her how to load it, retrieving a dozen slim metal bullets from the pouch she had removed from her belt. She released the cylinder of the second gun and slid one bullet into each chamber, rotating it gently as she went and snapping it back into place when she had finished. Lux followed suit, slowly and methodically preparing the first gun. She was going to have to practice regularly to be able to reload at a battle pace. Morgan’s skill was becoming more impressive by the second.

“Okay,” Morgan said with a nod, her voice losing some of its buoyancy now that the real lesson had begun. “Now you have a loaded pistol. Most important thing to remember is to never, ever point it at a person unless you want to shoot them. Make sure it’s not cocked, and keep it tilted down–” she demonstrated, “–or try not to keep it loaded at all unless you know you’re going into a fight. Okay?”

“I’m with you so far.” Lux offered a curt nod.

“When you do need to shoot at someone, you have to be calm, or you’ll miss. If you keep your breathing nice and even, it helps keep the rest of you steady.” Morgan stood as she spoke, gun in hand; even at her full height, Lux could still look her in the eye from her sitting position. “Singing means you know how to control your breath really well, yeah? So you should be pretty good at that.”

Lux nodded, but hummed noncommittally. Earlier in the day, Sol’s body had been possessed by a malicious spirit and she had telepathically begged her companions to free her. Lux had done all she could to incapacitate her dajyr with spells, but when it came time to shoot, her hands had shaken so badly the bolt had gone wide. Simultaneously ashamed and thankful for the miss, she knew she would have to learn to clear her mind if she was to hit her future mark.

“It takes time. You’ll figure it out.” Morgan’s confidence was unshakeable. She handed Lux the sound suppressor she had removed from one of the guns, indicating the notches in the barrel where it could be attached. “We’ll make yours a little softer to start. Now, when you’re firing, you have to remember the kickback. The gun wants to jump in your hand, and the noise can be surprising up close, which is why breathing is extra important. Hold it tightly, don’t let it get away, but keep your arm loose to absorb the shock. It’s easiest if you have your other hand to steady it, but when you’re fighting you usually need that hand free to reload.” She inspected Lux’s grip and nodded in approval, launching into her explanation of how to aim down the barrel for the most accurate shot. To demonstrate, she set her sights on the makeshift target she had fashioned out of a handkerchief and some arrows, her tongue poking slightly from the side of her mouth.

She fired. Though Lux had been expecting it, she still winced; up close, without the din of combat to dull it, the sound was nearly deafening. The handkerchief shuddered on its frame as a hole appeared, its edges blackened. Morgan lowered the gun. Lux lifted hers, but before she could line up her shot, Morgan gently pushed the barrel back down and looked at her with deadly seriousness.

“You have to know something first. The first time you shoot a person and not a monster… It’s different. Nothing will prepare you for how that makes you feel. It stays with you, deep in your heart. It’s scary, and dark, and it feels like your soul is marked. It feels… bad.” The word with a million permutations. She pursed her lips, her eyes wide; though she was the one who had offered the lessons, she needed Lux to understand the full gravity of the skill she was teaching.

Lux returned the Gnome’s gaze, her expression impassive. “That part I’m ready for.” She lifted and cocked the gun, took careful aim, exhaled slowly. She pulled the trigger.

_Come any time you like, kitten._

**Author's Note:**

> Title song by Boggie.
> 
> Follow me on Tumblr at @expressandadmirable for a proper table of contents for the Heroes campaign, commissioned character art, text-based roleplay snippets and more!


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